Gabriella Kiss

In Gabriella Kiss’s Royal Necklace, a sense of quiet opulence emerges through restraint. Composed of 18k yellow gold, salt-and-pepper diamonds, and a single Zambian emerald, the necklace balances regality with an earthy intimacy. The design is both sculptural and organic. Each gold link slightly irregular in silhouette, as if shaped by hand and time rather than machine. The necklace offers no pretense of perfection; instead, it embraces nuance, echoing Kiss’s long-standing fascination with the small, the symbolic, and the natural world.

At the center, the emerald is a 2.65 carats in a deep, saturated green which anchors the composition like a beating heart. Its presence is not flashy, but deliberate, a focal point amid the surrounding constellation of diamonds. The 18.26 total carats of salt-and-pepper stones, each one uniquely flecked and smoky, reinforce Kiss’s commitment to honoring imperfection. These are not flawless, sterile gems, but geological stories with each one encased in a modest bezel, resting in softly textured gold.

Kiss’s signature is the poetic juxtaposition of form and content: the elemental geometry of the necklace conceals a quiet narrative. A student of sculpture at Pratt Institute and former apprentice to Ted Muehling, she learned early to privilege line, movement, and material truth. Here, we see those lessons manifest in gesture. Royal Necklace reads as a modern heirloom, one that refuses spectacle in favor of intimacy.

Its title gestures toward tradition, yet the piece itself rewrites the rules of adornment. It’s royal not because of scale or extravagance, but because of intention,  craftsmanship, and presence.

References

Erbutler. “Gabriella Kiss.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.erbutler.com/designers/kiss.

No. 62 Jewelry. “Gabriella Kiss.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.no62jewelry.com/artists/63-gabriella-kiss/.

No. 62 Jewelry. “Royal Necklace.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.no62jewelry.com/artists/63-gabriella-kiss/works/24103-gabriella-kiss-royal-necklace/.

Quadrum Gallery. “Gabriella Kiss.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://quadrumgallery.com/collections/gabriella-kiss.

Sienna Patti Contemporary. “Gabriella Kiss.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://siennapatti.com/artist/gabriella-kiss.

Gabriella Kiss Jewelry. “About.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.gabriellakiss.com.

Instagram. “Gabriella Kiss (@gabriellakissjewelry).” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/gabriellakissjewelry.

Towey, Gael. “Portraits in Creativity: Gabriella Kiss.” Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.gabriellakiss.com.